Nightmare Before Christmas: Slash Edition
by Neross-qod
Summary: It's a tale as old as time. Just not quite as you remembered it. Slip your parents some nightshade, this one's going to be sexy. A Christmas gift from Neross. Vlad/Danny
1. If only he knew

Neross: Okay I know I should be working on my other stories but since Christmas is almost here I just couldn't resist doing this one. Really it was just WAY too amusing as a story line.

summary: It's a tale as old as time. Just not quite as you remembered it. Slip your parents some nightshade, this one's going to be sexy.

Warning: This fanfic may contain strong language, adult situations, mature imagery, dark themes, and sexual situations. You've been warned kiddies.

* * *

'Twas a long time ago, longer now then it seems, in a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story you are about to be told took place in the holiday worlds of old. Now you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't I'd say it's time you begun. For now comes a story of two ghosts, one old and one young. And if you believe their love to be untrue then what follows may indeed scare you! But look on, for now the time has arrived to be driven straight out of your mind! Come now and witness the love of two men and perhaps at last this poem can end.

At last it was here! At last it had arrived! And this year they had to get it right! The pumpkins must be carved exactly to the blueprints specifications. The teeth of every creature must be sharpened to deadly dagger points. For weeks the vampires had been draining victims in an effort to keep their award for most blood drained in a single evening. The witches endlessly brewed their potions and cursed those whose faces were fairer than their own.

Even Technus had gotten into the spirit of things, saying he'd unveil some new creation for all to see and everyone was eager to see the mad scientists work. At least it would drive attention away from the boogie man and the terrified sobs and screams that echoed from his chambers. But everything HAD to be perfect, no matter what. Because the king was growing bored, growing despondent. And this was never a good thing. Indeed everyone had learned that the last time this had happened a plague had swept through Europe with the force of an atom bomb.

So yes, everything MUST be perfect this year. So as the knob turned and the day arrived everyone was ready, including someone new who absently played with his stitches as the festivities went on around him. He made sure each one was tight, was in place, made sure that his ectoplasmic stuffing would not suddenly leak out. After all if he was damaged, even if somehow Technus didn't kill him for drugging him (again) and sneaking out (again), he would certainly kill him for injuring himself.

Still he could not contain his excitement, at last he would know what the fuss was all about, he could participate, have fun. Scare and frighten and generally misbehave like all the other ghouls and monsters his age. After all Halloween was here and that meant that the world of mortals, for one sweet night, was theirs. And Danny was ready.

So as he watched eagerly from behind the haunted tree with it's hanging bodies as the ending festivities began to take place. This is really what Danny wanted to see. For if nothing else tonight he simply HAD to see the Pumpkin King. The king of Halloween itself. There were so many rumors, so many tales. He was said to be powerful enough to split himself into pieces, handsome enough to shatter hearts with a mere smile, cunning enough to outsmart the boogie man himself. Danny was not ashamed to say he was a fan.

And the poor patch-work boy was not disappointed as out of the flames of a scarecrow the king himself arose in all of his glory. There he stood on the edge of the town's fountain well a gloved hand gesturing out to the adoring crowd, his black hair slicked back his ruby red eyes smiling out in contempt. The rumors had not been wrong, the king was more handsome than anyone Danny had ever seen. Though, if he were to be honest he had only seen most people from outside of his bedroom window or on his brief excursions out on the town while Technus slept off the deadly nightshade Danny often slipped into his tea.

Vlad Plasmius was the most stunning ghost the world knew, and he was special. He was half-ghost. There were many rumors that said that his other half was vampire, some said it was half reaper, even others said it was half wolf. But there was only one person who knew the truth, and through that one person there was only one more who had recently learned the secret himself. Vlad Plasmius was really half human, something much more frightening than any other monster anyone could come up with. Humans after all kill so often and in such great numbers. They torture and commit genocide and even worse, they find reasons to justify their actions.

And that was something Danny had in common with Vlad. He wasn't sure why of course, but he knew because he was part ghost and part human too. Technus had made him that way specifically. He still wasn't sure WHY Technus had done it. Made him and made him partly in the king's image. But the fact that someone was like him, even a little a bit, was a comfort to Danny, after all he felt so distant from the rest of Halloween town.

And there he was, so close, within reach of Danny at last and he couldn't help but smile. He broke away from the tree at last and joined the crowd around Vlad, looking for a way to get past. To get close to him. If he could just speak to him once he could-

Suddenly and rather violently his arm was caught and Danny was pulled back away the excitement and merriment from the party...from HIM. The patch-work boy turned to face his captor indignantly and felt his stomach fall as it was the black eyes of his creator who stared back at him with a scowl. "The Deadly Nightshade you slipped me wore off Daniel. Time to come home." Danny glared back at this comment and pulled at his arm, hoping to wrench it free. He was too close now, he wasn't about to just give up.

"I don't want to!" he snapped pulling harder. Technus glared down at his creation and yanked him forward again, toward the road that led to the observatory lab that they called 'home'. "You're not ready for this much excitement Daniel. You're coming with me."

Danny began to panic, he looked over his shoulder at the retreating crowd and felt his heart squeeze when he found he could no longer see Vlad over the throngs of on-lookers. Growing determined Danny turned back to Technus and grabbed the one thing he knew that would release him. Technus eyes widened in shock and irritation but the mad-scientist could not act fast enough as Danny pulled out the stitches that attached his arm to his shoulder. With one final declaration Danny turned and ran. "No I'm not!"

The half-ghost ran as fast as his legs would take him, completely ignoring his missing arm, which he was sure was beating on his creator for all it was worth. He ran quickly, and even flew a bit when he thought he wasn't moving fast enough. There was only one place now he knew he could hide long enough that Technus would give up looking for him for the day. The graveyard. He'd wait there until he got a chance to work his way back. Because the night would be a waste if he could not at least say SOMETHING to the king. If he couldn't say ANYTHING to his idol, then he might as well get used to a life in captivity, because what was the use of living?

* * *

Vlad wanted to die. Really and finally. He wised someone would take a gun to his head at that very moment and put him out of his misery. He just couldn't take it anymore. The night had been monotonous at best and soul-crushingly boring at worst. Why they had thought a few more bats coming out at the crescendo would be enough of a change to be interesting was beyond him. Satan below he had to get away. From the incompetent mayor Jack with his two faces, to the crooning witches who wanted nothing more than to tie him down and steal his seed for their future children.

Even the boogie man himself hadn't bothered this year so what was the point? And where the bloody hell was Technus? He had promised him something new, something amazing. Something that would no doubt elevate Vlad's poor mood. But the man had never shown and so Vlad was ready to commit a very promising murder-suicide simply in an attempt to shake things up. It didn't help that at the moment each and every single one of his adoring 'fans' was attempting to cling to his cape and drivel on his boots.

"You made wounds ooze and flesh crawl!"

"Thank you. Thank you! Thank you very much." Where was Jack with that announcement. Someone for the love of all things dark and evil get him out of this. And then at last there it was, Jack was announcing the awards. While everyone's attention was diverted Vlad slipped away, phasing through the ground so as to get away that much faster. At last he stepped upon solid ground once more and with a sigh of relief the king of Halloween tucked his hands behind his back and plodded on to the one place where he could feel some semblance of his old happiness.

But of course he first had to pass out of the gate, out of the town proper. Though honestly this was rather easy as the only obstacle standing in his path was the zombie band, led by Ember McClain, a rather dower young woman who Vlad actually got along with in his more bitter and desperate moments. Ember was leading the band in a song after his own heart, as it was both depressing and gloomy and all around listless.

As he passed Vlad threw them a coin, causing Ember to stare at him in irritation. "Nice work...bone daddy." she commented snidely. Vlad glared in return but walked on. "I suppose. Just like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that." he muttered on and on as he walked literally through the town's gate and let his heavy feet guide him to his silent retreat among the graves near the pumpkin patch and the living hill.

* * *

Danny, having caught his breath sat with his back to grave near the front of the graveyard, his mind wandering. He toyed with his ectoplasmic stuffing absently and let his mind wander. Unfortunately for him his mind most often wandered to that most fetching and elusive man who held his flickering attention. Vlad. Pumpkin King, King of Halloween, Lord of the Dead and Sexiest man non-living. He had been so close, so utterly close to completing his life's dream of meeting him, of talking to him. Okay granted he'd only been alive for the last four months, but still. How often did he look up to his posters and his books and wish that he could talk to his idol after whom he'd been modeled.

If only, if only. If only Technus was not so adamant about keeping him confined as if he were a china doll. After all he was so much more than that. He'd have left the mad scientist if he didn't owe the bastard his life. But Danny still had hoped that one day he'd get away. That one day he'd leave the decrepit old man and find someone who understood him. Perhaps that was why he was so eager to talk with the King.

Danny let out a sigh at his own desperate thinking that drastically changed into a gasp as he heard the creak of the gate opening. Afraid that it was Technus looking for him the patch-work halfa hid himself behind the gravestone he'd been leaning against and prayed it would be enough to hide him from sight as whoever it was walked past.

Nervous and unsure he peaked out through the decorative arch upon the tombstone and forced himself to hold back the gasp and the sharp intake of breath that came from a mixture of shock and joy. It seems that fate was being kind on Daniel on this most holy of nights, for there, framed by the moonlight, was Vlad, Pumpkin King, King of Halloween, Lord of the Dead and Sexiest man non-living himself.

Danny's smile tore at the seams of his jaw as his joy abounded. For once, let this night go in his favor.

* * *

Vlad was feeling contemplative when he entered the graveyard and if it hadn't been for his inward searching he would have sworn to hearing movement among the graves. It wasn't unheard of, a lot of ghosts other than himself liked to wander amongst their old bodies. But the Pumpkin King was in no mood for such things. He instead chose to believe he'd simply been hearing things and moved along to the one creature he actually wanted to have at his side. He stopped among the graves of people's deceased pets and tapped his leg.

Eagerly and happily a small ghostly dog rose from a headstone with the name 'Cujo' carved into it's face. A ghostly green with flopping black ears the dog appeared like any other lovable puppy...if a little more see-through. And though the dog followed him with an eager grin the ghost dog remained silent and simply followed his master as he paused at the statue of a devil with a listless look that was far from the graveyard surrounding him.

Then the Pumpkin did what normally eased his dark moods. He let himself return to his human form and through golden locks and dark blue eyes stared up at the full moon with a sense of longing he didn't truly understand. And then he turned to Cujo and began to muse to his canine companion. "There are few who deny that at what I do I am the best. And my talents are renowned far and wide. When it comes to surprises in the moonlight night I exel without even trying. With the slightest little effort of my ghost-like charms I have seen grown men give out a shriek. With the wave of my hand and a well placed moan I have swept the very bravest off their feet."

Vlad turned toward Cujo who silently looked back at him eagerly, ever loving even in death. But the Lord of the Dead moved on through the graves, trailing his hand over their ridges and grooves as he followed the path to the living hill. And as he walked his expression fell and he cupped his forehead in his hand as he went on, his face grim. "Yet year after year it's the same old cheer. And I grow so weary of the sound of screams. And I, Vlad, the Pumpkin King, have grown so tired of the same old thing."

Cujo stared up at his master sympathetically as the ghost king past the low fence dividing the living hill from the pumpkin patch and graveyard. And as he climbed Vlad gestured to the moon. "Oh some where deep inside of these bones, an emptiness began to grow. There's something out there far from my home. A longing that I've never known." He turned back to his canine friend who nudged his leg lovingly, as if urging Vlad that things would get better and the Pumpkin turned to the pumpkin patch beyond and seemed to glare at their smiling jack o' lantern faces.

"I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light, and I'll scare you right out of your pants." As he montioned over the patch of over-grown squash several spirits screamed and fled in fear and the spirit king could not help but take a little joy in the moment, though still he seemed angry and despondent. Though with Cujo's urging he continued. "To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mr. Unlucky and I'm known throughout England and France. And Since I am dead I can take off my head," and he illustrated this easily and with a little more sick joy than was probably normal for a human being...or even a ghost for that matter. "and recite Shakespearean quotations. " Cujo barked happily and flipped over himself but Vlad felt his spark fading even as he put his head back in place."No animal nor man can scream like I can with the fury of my recitations."

And instantly Vlad remembered that evenings festivities and frowned looking away in mixed anger and depression, his eyes hollow. "But who here, could ever understand that the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin would tire of his crown. If the only understood. I'd give it all up if I only could." And for a moment as Vlad turned back to the graveyard he could have sworn he saw something...no...someone duck behind a tombstone not far away. But it happened so quickly and no revealed themselves that the Ghost King ignored the disturbance once more and began to descend the hill, the hill itself stretching out before him by an unspoken command to place him on the other side of the pumpkin patch toward the woods that marked the edge of Halloween town and of Vlad's dark kingdom.

"Oh there's an empty place in my bones that calls out for something unknown. The fame and praise come year after year, does nothing for these empty tears." he muttered the last bit, hiding his face behind his hand as he began to wander aimlessly, his mind adrift with emotions and a sorrowful feeling of regret he didn't understand. Only Cujo, his ever loving companion followed him with a worried expression on his puppy face even though a pair of doll blue eyes watched him go with understanding hidden in their depths.

* * *

Danny really did honestly want to go after the King of Halloween, but now the half-ghost was at a lost for what to say. And it didn't help that the ghost king looked as if he was ready to die a second time. But still Danny watched him from behind his tombstone as he followed the path and the patch-work boy found he had to contain his sentimental laugh when the Lord of the Dead called forth his dog. Danny hadn't known he'd had a dog. And then the ghost king began to muse aloud to himself as he walked and Danny, transfixed, secretly followed him. He felt for the king, he understood, the same thing day after day was something he knew all to well. He wanted more than that from life, and apparently so did the Pumpkin King himself.

And although Danny wanted nothing more than to join Vlad as he walked among the graves he felt as if he would be intruding so instead he simply skulked after the ghostly king, dodging from headstone to headstone hoping that even as he watched he wouldn't be caught watching. He had a close call too when he thought of following the king up the living hill only to have him look back toward the graveyard. If Danny hadn't ducked behind the nearest tombstone he most likely would have been discovered. But as he listened he felt his heart breaking for the poor king and wanted nothing more than to jump out and say 'I'm here! I understand!', but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

It was only when the ghost king vanished into the woods that Danny revealed himself and forlornly looked after the fading silhouette of the ghost king. "Vlad..." The patch-work boy muttered regretfully after that handsome fading image. "I know how you feel." he called, sure that the Pumpkin King had not heard him and so regretfully stared at his shoes. With a sigh Danny trudged back to the graveyard gate, stopping only once to stuff his pockets with more essential Deadly Nightshade, before at last he headed home. Thankfully the lights were out and Technus obviously gone to bed when Danny snuck back in through the kitchen.

Quickly, and quietly as he could the patch-work boy took out his jar of Deadly Nightshade and replenished it's contents. He'd only just finished when he heard the tell-tale signs of his creator's bedroom door opening. As quickly as he could Danny hid the jar from sight and had only just closed the cabinet door and spun around when Technus, holding a lantern above his head, entered the kitchen, a smug look upon his face.

"Danny. You've come back..." the mad scientist grinned, his town cruel and knowing. Danny glared and looked away from his creator in anger. "I had to." The mad scientist's smile only grew and from behind his back revealed Danny's missing arm which waved absently at it's owner as if it had understood that if it weren't for it's sake Danny wouldn't have been there. "For this." Technus stated knowingly, sadistically.

Danny smiled as sweetly as he could and with a sugar-coated tone replied. "Yes." Technus merely grinned and gestured with Danny's own arm toward the door way to the mad scientist's lab. "Shall we then?" Danny grimaced but swallowed his pride and stalked past the older man and up the stairs to the lab in which he had been 'born'. Once there Technus strapped Danny down to a large metal slab and set about to work stitching Danny's arm back into place. As he worked on Danny's arm the mad-scientist studied his creation with disappointment and restrained anger.

"That's twice this month you've slipped Deadly Nightshade into my tea and run off." Technus commented, as if doing so absently. Danny, leaning back against the metal head-support of the slab smiled secretly to himself in a victorious way. "Three times." he corrected his creator, as sweetly as he could. Technus, however, was not fooled and the scientist quickly and ferociously stared Danny in the face with a glare that could have turned most men's hair white. Danny, however, merely recoiled and bit his lip in fear. "You're mine you know! I made you! With my own hands!" As he said the last Technus seemed to clam down and pulled away from Danny in order to study the thread he was using to stitch Danny back together.

Danny looked after Technus for awhile before at last the boy swallowed his pride and for once thought of his creator as his father and spoke his mind. "You can make other creations." he suggested at first, taking the glaring look the mad scientist sent him in stride before he continued. "I'm restless, I can't help it!"

Technus, at last let out a sigh and looked down at Danny with a patronizing but seemingly understanding smile. "It's a phase my boy, it'll pass. We need to be patient, that's all."

Danny looked away from Technus toward the window and felt his connection to the despondent Pumpkin King return. "But I don't want to BE patient."

* * *

The next morning the mayor, full of post-holiday cheer came as he always did after Halloween to the Pumpkin King's home. He chose to smile with his giddy face at the band, headed by Ember, sleeping outside of Vlad's home and lifted his tall mayoral hat in greeting. "Morning gents." he said cheerily, pulling his large girth from his car in order to bring with him all of his plans and diagrams to begin the planning for next year's Halloween. He hummed to himself as he went, ignoring the patronizing and indignant looks of the band as he opened the gate to Vlad's home and quickly climbed the stairs to the King's front door where he rang the screaming spider door-bell.

He waited a moment, but after he got no response Jack began to become slightly impatient. Though he continued humming he ran the bell a second time and then waited. Still no response so instead he called out, "Vlad! You home?" Still no answer. Finally giving in to his impatience the mayor's head turned and he glared fruitlessly at the door before pounding away on it.

Only then did he smile once more. "Vlad! I've got the plans for next Halloween! I need to go over them with you so we can get started!" As he gestured with his arm, he forgot about the plans and diagrams and dropped them. Finally losing his good mood his face switched once more and in a desperate plea cried out. "Vlad please! I'm only an elected official I can't make decisions by myself!" When still no answer came Jack lost his patience and pulled out his megaphone and called out toward the tower of Vlad's home. "Vlad?! Answer me!" he cried, leaning back. Unfortunately for the mayor this made him lose his balance and with a frantic yell he fell down the length of the stairs leading to Vlad's home and collided with his front gate with a crash and a groan.

The band was already there, on the other side of the gate, watching him. Ember stared down at him with a snarky grin and told him in a secretive way. "He's not home." Jack painfully raised his upset head and groaned before asking. "Where is he?"

The band shrugged in unison and Ember turned toward him with an aloof frown. "He hasn't been home all night."

* * *

Indeed the King hadn't been home all night. In his dark state of mind he had been wandering, his feet tirelessly carrying him forward until he no longer recognized where he was. And Cujo, ever-faithful followed him despite the attitude of his master. And even as the sun rose with it's dark grin the King continued to wander, asleep on his feet. Then at last the King yawned and looked up and around him and found he was somewhere he had never been before. Around him was a circle of trees, all with doors and the King found himself staring at his surroundings with an almost eager light, if not for his depression he might have been happy to find such a strange sight.

"Where are we?" He wondered aloud to Cujo who simply stared up at his master with a questioning glance. "So...it's someplace new." He looked around at the doors once more and spoke his mind as he turned toward one door in particular that shined and sparkled in the sunlight. Obviously it was a tree but it was more green than any tree Vlad had ever seen and it was covered in silver, gold, and brightly colored ornaments with a bright and shinning star upon it's top and a brightly colored box with an equally brightly colored ribbon at it's bottom.

"What is this?" he wondered aloud and reached for the golden handle. He opened the door, fascinated by it's glow, and looked inside, only to find blackness greeting him. Disappointed and confused Vlad turned back to Cujo and shrugged.

Then, quite suddenly, a chilled air wrapped around the Pumpkin King and drew him back. Tripping on the edge of the door the King fell backward, through blackness and cold air filled with shinning sparkles of ice like tiny little stars. Then there was a flash of light and Vlad fell harder until he felt himself land upon something soft and cold.

With a shiver he pulled himself up and stared up and around him. And then, despite himself, he smiled, a spark of his old self shinning in his eyes. "What's this?"

* * *

Neross: Holy crap I'm writing a Christmas story. Hell must have finally frozen over. Well in any case look forward to this one my little ones. It's gonna be short but sweet and my gift to you for Christmas. Hope you guys enjoy...because it'll probably never happen again.

You know the drill kiddos leave a helpful review and I won't be there to disturb your nightmares.


	2. Just outside your window

Neross: I am SO working on things out of order that at this rate I'll probably need to be shaken very roughly before I get back to work on the important stuff. *sigh* Oh well. Here you are children. Late in coming I know but hopefully it's still wintery enough for you all to still enjoy this.

Warning: This fanfic may contain strong language, adult situations, mature imagery, dark themes, and sexual situations.

* * *

The town had been in an uproar all night, and Danny knew it. As he leaned out the window in the kitchen he couldn't help the look of surprise and worry as the town alarm was sounded. Something really must be wrong. And then, a terrible thought crossed Danny's mind. Perhaps Vlad had been hurt...even killed! Had the boogie man finally decided to take over? Danny shook suddenly and rubbed his arms before turning back to the soup he had been working on.

Green and bubbling the smell that wafted up from the cauldron was pleasant and musky enough. Danny couldn't help but frown at the steaming soup and stare at it in distaste. He really didn't want to be cooped up here in the kitchen. He wanted to be out there finding out why the alarms were being sounded. He wanted to know if Vlad was okay.

So, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one would be witness to his deed, Danny took down the nightshade he had hidden the night before. He poured in a heady amount and then instantly recoiled as the smell hit him. There would be very little that could cover up a smell like THAT. And then it hit him. "Frog's breath overpower any oder." he said to himself pulling out a jar of the stuff.

He held his nose and unscrewed the cap letting the frog inside breath out a large plume of noxious, gassy, breath into the cauldron. Danny immediately regretted his decision as the room began to spin and he had trouble breathing. Coughing Danny could barely see past the tears in his eyes. "Bitter!" he cried reaching for the cabinet of spices. "Wormswort!" he cried looking desperately for the one thing he could think of to stop the room from spinning from the incredible stench. "Wh-where's that wormswort?!"

Finding it at last Danny couldn't help the grin that split his face. It faded quickly however as a voice called down from upstairs. "Danny? That soup ready yet?!" Swearing under his breath Danny hurried back to the cauldron to pour a heady amount of coating liquid into the vat. Sighing in relief Danny turned his infectious grin upwards and called out "Coming!"

Sorry Technus...Danny mused to himself, grinning mischievously. But I'm going out again tonight.

* * *

Jack was out of his mind with worry. Not only for his best friend, but for his career as mayor! What would he tell his wife and daughter if he lost his post as mayor because he'd lost track of the King of Halloween himself. Laying atop his mayoral rv in the town square, just outside the gate where Vlad had last been seen the two-faced mayor groaned and looked down at the vampires and witches crowded inside who were attempting to hide from the light of the morning sun.

"Did anyone think to trench the lake?" he asked frantically, obviously running out of ideas.

One of the vampires, Elliot, yawned and stretched the effects of staying up so early clearly showing under his eyes. "Ugh...this morning!" he groaned. There was a moment of silence and then the sound of distant barking could be heard.

"Hear that?" Sam, the taller of the two witches asked, using her hat like a hearing aid.

Valerie, the other witch, yawned, stretched and glared with bleary eyes at her fellow magic caster. "Hear what?" she ground out.

"Shh!" Sam said, cutting her off. The sound of barking growing louder.

Jack's distressed face, the one that had been showing ever since Vlad had gone missing, turned back to the smiling one as he recognized the sound of that barking. Elliot even risked sun exposure as the blood sucker rose up with a smile of his own and exclaimed. "Cujo!"

Not moments later the ghost dog came running through the town gates, Vlad not far behind riding upon the most unusual vehicle Jack had ever seen. Trailing behind it was a cart full to the brim with an enormous sack that was full to bursting. But Jack could have cared less about all that because everyone was screaming and running up exclaiming so that only he seemed to notice the bright grin upon his friend's face that he hadn't seen the like of in years.

Still smiling Jack couldn't help the slightly knowing and smug town that crept into his face as he placed his hands on his hips and leaned over as Vlad pulled his strange contraption up alongside his rv. "Where HAVE you been?" he asked him.

Vlad climbed out of his vehicle with all the grace of a predator and shot Jack the most gleeful and utterly strange look that Jack had ever seen upon the half-ghost's face. "Call a town meeting and I'll tell everyone all about it."

Jack's worry at Vlad's town had his face switching once more, dismay settling upon him. "When?" he asked.

"Immediately!"

* * *

Danny was just putting the good doctor to bed when he heard the town meeting announcement. And he couldn't help the relieved smile that came onto his face. Maybe now he would know what was going on. So, with a last grateful and slightly reluctant pat to Technus' shoulder Danny slipped out into the night. He flew almost all the way to town hall, landing only when he was sure he was out of sight. The entrance way was packed as everyone from all over town crowded inside.

Knowing that only Vlad himself could draw that sort of crowd Danny hurried past the masses, slipping inside as easily as a snake. Unfortunately by the time he entered there were no seats left so the poor patchwork boy had to situate himself up in the boughs of the living tree. Making sure, of course, to keep his legs away from the skeletons that hung from it's branches. And thankfully Danny didn't have to wait long for soon, there he was.

Vlad, King of Halloween, Lord of the Dead, and Sexiest man Unliving himself. Danny couldn't help the adoring and slightly shy smile that crept onto his face as he watched the older ghost climb onto the stage, stand behind the podium and called for the attention of the audience. And instantly he got it, because his demanding presence was enough to settle everyone simply with a flick of his wrist.

"Listen everyone! I want to tell you about Christmas town!" Vlad proclaimed. Danny rose an eyebrow in interest. 'Christmas town'? What in the world was Christmas town?

"There were object so peculiar they were not to be believed. All around things to tantalize my 's a world unlike anything I've ever seen, and as hard as I tried I can't seem to describe like the most improbable dream! But you must believe when I tell you this! It's as real as my skull and it DOES exist!" Vlad announced. When no one seemed quite enthused the Pumpkin king shook his head and reached for a pull cord. "Here, let me show you." he stated, pulling the crowd to pull back the curtain to reveal a stage covered in the most dazzling sight Danny had ever seen.

As the rest of the crowd let out cries of surprise, even of fear, Danny let out a soft "Oo!" of interest and leaned forward despite himself. There was a beautiful green tree covered in ornaments of green, red, and gold. There were boxes covered in bright colored paper and covered with bows, and the whole display seemed to exude warmth in a way DAnny would previously had ben unable to describe.

"This is a thing called a 'present'. The whole thing starts with a box." Vlad explained, picking up one of the brightly colored boxes and holding it aloft. Almost immediately the devil Dash stood up with a question "A box? Is it steel?" He asked. Next to him, Wulfe, the wolfman stood up as well to put in his two cents. "Are there locks?" And then it was Jazz the split-headed monster who seemed to have the most to saw about the whole thing. "Is it filled with a pox?"

Dash turned to Jazz with a wicked grin, seeming delighted at her suggestion. "A pox? How delightful a pox." Jazz nodded with pride only to look up in dismay as Vlad stared all three of them down with disapproval.

"If you please." he stated sternly, putting each one back into there seats as he continued with his explanation. "Just a box with bright colored paper. And the whole thing's topped with a bow."

"A bow?!" Screamed the witches, each flying on stage.

"How ugly!" Valerie screeched.

"But why?" Sam questioned, incensed.

"What's in it?" Sam asked curiously, only to repeat her question in time with Valerie. "What's in it?!"

Vlad frowned and held the box away from the both protectively. "That's the point of the thing not to know."

And then suddenly the box was lifted away out of Vlad's hands and pulled into the audience by the clown Tucker. "It's a bat!" he cried in triumph. "Will it bend?" asked Paulina, the spider-haired monster sitting beside him. Tucker pulled it away out of her reach indignantly, "It's a rat!" he said more soundly. "Will it break?" Paulina questioned back in curious inspection.

Even the lake monster, Maddie stuck in her inquisitive nose. "Perhaps it's the head I found in the lake!"

Vlad pushed past her and grabbed back the present, his expression like one taking back a precious toy. "Listen now!" he snapped placing the box back from where he had picked it up from. "You just don't understand. That's not the point of Christmas land."

Turning quickly Vlad ignored the murmured confusion and picked up a bright red sock and held it aloft for all to see. "Now pay attention." he told the audience who all reluctantly went silent. "We pick up an oversized sock. And hang it like this on the wall." Vlad stated, demonstrating as he spoke.

Lancer, intrigued, stood and approached the stage, studying the sock carefully. "Oh yes does it still have a foot?" he asked, his smaller self popped out of his hat and looked even more enthusiastic about the idea. "Let me see! Let me look!" And then his last and most tiniest self appeared out of the others hat and cried out in a tiny voice. "Is it rotted and covered with gook?"

Vlad frowned and shook his head, backing off quickly from the offending man. "Please let me explain." Lancer looked disappointed by took his seat once more as Vlad nodded and continued with his demonstration. "There's no foot inside but there's candy. Or sometimes it's filled with small toys!"

"Small toys?!" Cried young blood from his father's shoulders. "Do they bite?" asked Dani, a tiny devil sitting close to him, her large bat wings stretching out in amusement.

"Do they snap?" cried young blood.

"Or explode in the sack?" came Dani.

"Or maybe they just spring out and scare girls and boys!" exclaimed Boxed lunch from her seat.

"What a splendid idea!" Cried the mayor, leaning down from his post of manning the spotlight. "This Christmas sounds fun! I fully endorse it! Let's try it at once!" His exclamation was punctuated by a sort of half-scream as he stepped wrong and nearly fell from the landing the spotlight swinging wildly as Vlad gazed on with an annoyed glare.

"Everyone please! Now not so fast! There's something that you don't quite grasp!" Vlad told them, his tone almost pleading as he returned to the podium. But as the crowd grumbled amongst themselves about their confusion and misunderstanding of the pumpkin king's point Danny could see the exasperation give way and win in the king's eyes.

"Well..."Vlad muttered tiredly to himself,"Might as well give them what they want." So summoning up his resolve Vlad rose his head and forced a wicked grin onto his face and strode forward into the crowd. "And the best I must confess I've saved for the last! For the ruler of this Christmas land, is a fearsome king with a deep mighty voice! At least that's what I've come to understand."

"And I've also heard it told that he's something to behold. Like a lobster huge and RED! When he sets out to sleigh with his rain-gear on carrying bulging sacks with his great big arms! That is so I've heard it said." The King told them, making a show by emphasizing his point to specific members of the audience. Missing the only look that pinned him with confusion and worry at the same time from pretty doll-like blue eyes.

"And on a dark cold night with a full moon light he flies into the fog like a vulture in the sky! And they call him Sany Claws!" Vlad finished, jumping back on stage and performing one of his best evil laughs at the end of the name to the cheer of the crowd. But as the curtain pulled closed the pumpkin king couldn't help but sigh and turn away feeling dejected and more alone than ever. Still that glimmer of hope kept him smiling, though it was small and almost sad.

"Well at least they're excited. " he muttered aloud, "But they don't understand. That special kind of feeling in Christmas land. Oh well."

* * *

Unfortunately for Danny the next day did not go nearly as well as the one before. Technus caught him early that morning sneaking back in and had not been happy in the least. He was, perhaps, even more unhappy, due to the large headache consuming all that deadly nightshade. But that was just a guess on Daniel's part. Still the headache, and a large ice pack had not stopped Technus from dragging Danny to his room where he was told quite profusely he would be spending the rest of his afterlife if the mad scientist had any say in the matter.

"You've poisoned me for the last time you wretched boy." Technus snapped before slamming shut the large, thick, metal door to Danny's room confining him within. The patchwork boy sighed and buried his head in his hands. There was no use trying to escape from his room through the door or the walls, Technus had warded them against ghost penetration years before he'd even made Danny, so there really no point in even attempting.

So the ghost boy had only begun to bemoan his horrid fate AND his bad luck when the sound of the doorbell rang. Curious as to who it could be Danny ran to his door and pressed his ear against the freezing cold metal. And then his heart skipped a beat because of all people it was the sound of the King of Halloween's voice that reached his years. "Doctor! I need to borrow some equipment!"

"Is that so? Whatever for?" Technus queried back making the patchwork boy wrinkle his nose. Who cared what it was for, it had brought his idol to his home. HIS home. Now if only he could escape this room.

"I'm conducting a series of experiments." Vlad replied, now sounding much closer.

"How perfectly marvelous. Curiosity killed the cat you know." Technus said pleasantly, sounding amused.

Vlad merely chuckled before the sound of his answer reached Danny's ears. "I know."

"Come on into the lab and we'll get you all fixed up." Technus told the king before their combined retreating footsteps echoed in Danny's ears and he was forced to pull away from the door at last.

Sitting back down on his small cot the patchwork couldn't help but wonder aloud."Hmmm? Experiments?"

* * *

Vlad returned home later in that same afternoon his bag laden down with the equipment and knowledge Technus had provided him with. He greeted Cujo only briefly before he set to work. He had to figure out what Christmas was all about. Somehow he had to get back that feeling. That warm fuzzy feeling that had so enveloped him there but was now once more gone from his life.

He worked tirelessly for hours with no result growing more and more frustrated and more and more furious as the day wore on into the night. Then at last he discovered something. True he wasn't sure what, but after combining the dust of an ornament to a boiling solution it had begun to glow a bright iridescent green off and on. "Interesting reaction...but what does it mean?!" Vlad growled nearly tearing his hair out in frustration.

* * *

Not far off another was making preparations of his own. After putting the finishing touches to his smoke-picture-in-a-bottle Danny added it to his basket of worldly possessions and tied the basket off to the string attached to his sewing machine. Carefully guiding the thread out Danny backed up toward his large window and pushed it open before carefully lowering the basket down.

The poor boy was miserable he had been cooped up for hours and was no closer to appreciating his so-called father as he had been the day he had first been 'born'. So with a heavy heart he had decided this time he wouldn't be coming back. It was a hard decision that weighed heavily on his mind. So when he looked up toward the tower of Vlad's home and saw the beautiful green light the patchwork boy couldn't help but smile and take it as a sign of hope.

It gave him the courage he needed to finally launch himself out of the window and accept the four-story fall to the ground below.

Danny landed with a solid, 'thud' , and had to take a minute to recover before pushing himself up and looking back toward the window he'd just thrown himself out of. Smiling at his success Danny turned back toward the green light only to notice that in the fall his left arm and right leg had come loose. Letting out a groan the patchwork boy set to work sewing himself back up. Doing so rather quickly and much more easily than he would have liked to admit to.

Once done he brushed himself off, and headed with a spring in his step toward Vlad's mansion. He stopped only briefly to nod toward the zombie band and their lead singer Ember who watched him with mixed gazes of surprise and a strange sort of encouragement in their eyes. But his pause was only brief and before he knew it Danny found himself standing outside the window to Vlad's tower bedroom, staring up at it with nervous and giddy eyes.

* * *

Vlad was working out an equation, one he was nowhere even close to solving, when he heard a gentle tapping at his window. Surprised that anyone could be out so late at night, let alone tapping away at his window the Ghostly king approached the window with caution. He opened his window slowly and found a basket outside lifted by a rope and a hook. Surprised and amused he looked down and found himself staring into the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.

There, below, was a boy of seventeen holding the rope that had lifted the basket to his window. He seemed to have been stitched together from pieces of heaven for he was the most beautiful creature Vlad had ever seen. And he waved in amusement as he took the basket from the hook and pulled it inside.

He lifted the towel that covered the contents and found himself staring at a lovely, if a bit meager, meal and a lovely blue bottle. Pulling the cork from the stem Vlad stared in amazement as a smokey butterfly rose from the bottle's neck and flapped it's wings once before vanishing into thin air. Truly touched by the artistry of such a thing the pumpkin king leaned out the window wishing greatly to invite the young man up or at the very least ask him his name.

But the boy was gone and Vlad felt himself disappointed and wondering if it had all been some sort of mirage or dream. With a heavy sigh the half ghost turned and returned to his work. His heart heavier than ever.

* * *

Outside the small figure of that same patchwork boy slipped behind the low wall of Vlad's fence and slid down to the ground as a similar heavy sigh flew out from younger lips. Danny couldn't seem to get his face to stop flushing. And in his shy glee he couldn't help but pick one of the thistle flowers sitting outside of Vlad's fence. Smiling wistfully to himself the ghost boy picked the flower's petals one by one thinking after every one 'He loves me. He loves me not'.

Until suddenly the flower shook in his hand and changed shape and suddenly, instead of a dead flower, a beautiful little Christmas tree stood in his hand. Ornaments and all. It twirled back and forth and then....it caught fire. In an instant the tiny tree went up in flames and DAnny was left to stare in horror at the burned stump in his hand.

'Oh Vlad!' the patchwork boy thought desperately. 'What are you getting yourself into?'

__________________

Neross: WEll there you go. Hope you enjoyed it because it took me a lot of effort to write it...mostly because I'm sick as a dog.

Well you know what to do children. Leave a nice little review for me and you won't wake up with me under your bed.


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